Kolkata: Unable to bear the rising medical expenses of her ailing husband, a woman in West Bengal's Murshidabad district set him on fire, police said Monday.

The incident happened Sunday night in Mithipur village.

"According to initial reports, the woman (Tara Bibi) last night (Sunday) poured kerosene on her husband Zakir Hussain and set him on fire. We have detained her for questioning," said an officer of Raghunathganj police station.

Suffering from 70 percent burns, Hussain has been admitted to Jangipur sub-division hospital.

Hussain was rescued by his neighbours who alleged that the woman used to repeatedly quarrel and curse her husband for being bedridden.

"She used to curse her husband and there were frequent quarrels over Hussain's ill health. She openly used to wish her husband died and last night we found Hussain on fire with the house locked from outside," said one of the neighbours.